麻豆传媒

Role

I am a postdoctoral research associate in the groups of Prof Tracy Palmer and Dr Elisabeth Lowe working on bacterial cell envelope structure biogenesis. I previously worked in Prof Bert van den Berg's group as a postdoctoral researcher (2019-2024). 

Research interests

I am a structural biologist interested in membrane transport processes in bacteria, especially members of the Bacteroidota phylum which are prominent human gut symbionts. The key techniques and topics of my research are:

• Single particle cryogenic electron microscopy
• X-ray crystallography
• Microbiology
• Membrane proteins
• Cell surface structure biogenesis
• Microbe-microbe interactions

Qualifications

2015-2019 - DPhil, University of Oxford

2011-2015 - BA (Hons) & MSci Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge

2020-2025 CMB1011 Professional and Practical Skills for Bioscientists, co-lead for the Genetic Transformation practical class.

• Articles

  • Silale A, Madej M, Mikruta K, Frey AM, Hart AJ, Basle A, Scavenius C, Enghild JJ, Trost M, Hirt RP, van den Berg B. . Nature Microbiology 2025, 10, 2845–2859.
  • Parr RJ, Santin YG, Ratkeviciute G, Caulton SG, Radford P, Gurvic D, Jenkins M, Doyle MT, Mead L, Silale A, van den Berg B, Knowles TJ, Sockett RE, Stansfeld PJ, Laloux G, Lovering AL. . Nature Communications 2025, 16, 6213.
  • White JBR, Silale A, Feasey M, Heunis T, Zhu Y, Zheng H, Gajbhiye A, Firbank S, Baslé A, Trost M, Bolam DN, van den Berg B, Ranson NA. . Nature 2023, 618(7965), 583-589.
  • Silale A, Zhu Y, Witwinowski J, Smith RE, Newman KE, Bhamidimarri SP, Basle A, Khalid S, Beloin C, Gribaldo S, van den Berg B. . Nature Communications 2023, 14, 7152.
  • Abellon-Ruiz J, Jana K, Silale A, Frey AM, Baslé A, Trost M, Kleinekathöfer U, van den Berg B. . Nature Communications 2023, 14, 4714.
  • van den Berg B, Silale A, Baslé A, Brandner AF, Mader SL, Khalid S. . Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022, 119(42), e2211672119.

• Review

  • Silale A, van den Berg B. . Annual Review of Microbiology 2023, 77, 67-88.